Houston Astros fans optimistic after GM provides update on Michael Brantley’s tender shoulder: "Hoping for the best, prepping for the worst"
Oft-injured Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley appears to be near a return to the team's lineup.
Brantley has yet to play for the Astros this season. He opened the season on the injured list as he continued to recover from surgery on his right shoulder in August.
Just as he was primed to come off the IL in early May, concerns over inflammation in the surgically-repaired shoulder shut him down once again.
Astros GM Dana Brown asked about Brantley: "We're really excited about Michael. He has no pain and people will start to see more of him, doing more. We could use him in a big way. He's feeling no pain, he's actually throwing, hitting and running." @SportsTalk790 @SeanUnfiltered
However, during an interview on SportsTalk 790 in Houston, Astros general manager Dana Brown offered an upbeat assessment of Michael Brantley in his latest rehab:
"We're really excited about Michael. He has no pain, and people will start to see more of him, doing more. We could use him in a big way. He's feeling no pain. He's actually throwing, hitting and running."
Houston Astros fans are chomping at the bit to see Brantley back in the lineup.
This is fantastic news to hear about Brantley! Maybe take the fork out of Brantley? #Ready2Reign twitter.com/blima790/statu…
@BLima790 @SportsTalk790 @SeanUnfiltered This is the kind of good news we need!
This is excellent news. Maybe we will see a rehab assignment very soon twitter.com/blima790/statu…
Michael Brantley is an important – if not necessarily dependable – bat in the Astros' lineup. He is penciled in as Houston Astros' No. 2 hitter when he eventually returns.
Brown spoke with the Houston Chronicle regarding Brantley on Sunday:
"The fact that he’s (throwing and catching), those are positive signs. The fact that he’s hitting with no discomfort, no pain or anything like that, that’s exciting."
This is good news as Michael Brantley is a good baseball player twitter.com/blima790/statu…
@BLima790 @SportsTalk790 @SeanUnfiltered Great signs! They definitely need him. The Astros offense only has the 8th most RS in the AL, that's pretty middling. Brantley is just such a great hitter, he's slashing .306/.368/.464 with a 124 OPS+ since 2019
Finally some good news for the Astros. twitter.com/blima790/statu…
When Michael Brantley plays, he is a tremendously valuable asset for the Houston Astros. In four seasons with the team, he has hit .306 with 185 RBIs and 40 home runs.
However, the problem with Brantley throughout 14 MLB seasons has been a long-running injury history. Last season, he was placed on the injured list on June 27 and then underwent an arthroscopic labral repair procedure in mid-August.
Brantley has only played in 379 games over four seasons with Houston – including just 64 games last season.
@BLima790 @SportsTalk790 @SeanUnfiltered I will believe it when I see it. Also Brantley is nearing 40 and hasn’t hit in a game for more than a year. Not expecting much.
Dusty in two weeks: "We don't want to call it a setback, but his left arm was amputated last night."
#Astros twitter.com/BLima790/statu…
@BLima790 @SportsTalk790 @SeanUnfiltered Hoping for best, but prepping for worst
Astros fans will take whatever they can get out of Brantley. Over a nine-game minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land in late April/early May, Brantley went 6-for-24 with five RBIs and 11 walks. He did get one start at first base as well as two games at designated hitter and six in left field.
This is great news cause I was mentally prepared to not see him again until maybe playoffs if that twitter.com/blima790/statu…
Houston Astros need a healthy Michael Brantley
Brantley will be a welcome addition to the lineup if he does indeed take the field at some point soon. The Astros are currently battling the Los Angeles Angels for the second spot in the American League West, with both teams lagging behind the Texas Rangers.